Overview:

High school students are seriously challenged in their need to improve their vocabularies. The systematic study of classical (Greek & Latin) linguistic roots provides the most fruitful “shortcut” for vocabulary development. This unit is designed to introduce students to the means of creating a PowerPoint presentation on one Greek or Latin root, with the goal of a mastery of that root for the student and the class of which he is part. Computer technology enhances greatly the research resources available to students, while student-developed PowerPoint presentations create very positive tools for teaching each other.

Ultimately, exposure to the value of recognizing Greek and Latin affixes (prefixes and suffixes) and linguistic roots leads to a “habit of the mind” of seeking to recognize word elements in unknown words to deduce their meaning. With many “S.A.T.-type” words coming from a classical background, this is a very valuable habit/skill.

Essential Questions:

How can you figure out the meaning of a word you have never seen before? Is there any systematic way for students to increase their vocabularies beyond mastering one word at a time as they encounter them haphazardly in reading or hearing? How can students use computer resources to teach each other how Greek and Latin roots can be recognized and mastered for the improvement of English vocabulary?}